[78-L] Douglas Macarthur on 78

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Whipkey" <suuford at msn.com>
>I went to another auction and got a real bargain!  Four  12 inch  78RPM
> records  starring General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.
> It's  the  complete address  MacArthur made to Congress 4/19/51 after
> President Truman fired him.   The label says  Produced and Distributed
> without profit by the Chicago Tribune and WGN as a public service,
> manufactured by Mercuty Record Corporation, Chicago, Illinois.  The set is
> in mint condition, was in the original shipping box, which I found
> fascinating, because  the records were sent through the mail  in a thin 
> box,
> with only a piece of cardboard between each  record.  I've listened to the
> records, doubt if I  had ever heard  it before,  I was still in high 
> school
> when he  gave the speech,  have to say I  believe  MacArthur was correct 
> in
> his assessment of things  that day.  It  was all new to me, except the
> closing  line, which  most of us remember, I suppose,  Old Soldiers never
> die, they just fade away.  I did learn from  his speech that it's a line
> from a  song which used to be sung at West Point. And it surprised me  he
> ended  the speech  by then saying  merely "goodbye".
> Oh, I have to brag a little,  was prepared to buy it,  indeed, determined 
> to
> try and buy it, and was  surpised and amazed when I bid a dollar and no 
> one
> else  spoke up.
>
In fact, my late father...who was a hard-core Republican and an admirer of
McArthur, as well as a dedicated Tribune reader/subscriber...took us
"downtown" to see McArthur's return to Chicago...which I can still 
recall...!

...stevenc